#135: 12 hours to stop a new era of oil and gas exploration

On moving fast against oily agendas

Mōrena, and happy October!

Straight to it this week because urgent action is needed! The most impactful thing you can do today is to submit against oil and gas exploration. 

We only have 12 hours to weigh in on a hugely important piece of legislation that will overturn the previous government’s ban on oil and gas exploration, something that thousands of people fought for years to achieve!

The Waiho Papa Moana hīkoi protesting against deep sea drilling at the New Zealand Petroleum Summit in 2014. Phil Walter/Getty Images

The deadline is 11:59pm tonight, Tuesday 1st October. This bill is predicted to unleash 51 million more tonnes CO2 if allowed to progress. It’s only through coming together fighting these things that we prevent that from happening.

What can we do today?

The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was the link to the Climate Strike last Friday. Ka pai to those who went!

Sp-oil their plans: keep the oil & gas ban by midnight tonight!

The government gave us only 4 days (12 hours from now) to submit on the re-exploration of oil and gas in the “Crown Minerals Act”. This is barely any time to research and consult and weigh in - but we must make it clear that this is neither acceptable policy nor democratic 

• Copy paste for 3 minutes today:
  Together with Oil Change International, we’ve written up a submission template for you to copy & paste in a 2 minute coffee / lunch / tea break.
  Action: Copy and paste from our quick template to submit on the Oil and Gas Ban repeal

• Bonus points for using your own words:

  • We know that submissions will be grouped if they are all similar, but individually adding your own reasons adds to the number that may not be bucketed together.
    Action: tailor the template with your own words

• If you’ve missed the deadline: Write a letter to the editor using our letter to the editor guide, and the points from the submission guide!

🐝 5 minutes: Ride waves, make tracks

• The ageing Interislander ferries need replacing. It’s crucial that new ferries are rail-enabled, letting rail freight and equipment move easily between the North and South Islands. Without this, the movement of goods is limited and it threatens the South Island’s whole rail network. Current and future passenger rail services also rely on a viable national rail network. Rail is a low-emissions alternative to trucks, and also reduces road congestion, road maintenance costs & potholes, and pollution.
  Action: Ensure replacement Cook Strait ferries can carry trains! 

🐇 15 minutes: Give Otago some love 

• Otago, due this Sunday: The Otago Regional Council is taking feedback on their Strategic Climate Action Plan. While we don’t have a submission guide, it’s relatively short and multi-choice! Your feedback will help shape the mitigation & adaptation goals of the ORC, building resilience and enhancing the wellbeing of Otago’s communities.
  Action: Have a read of the Action Plan or ORC’s online summary, submit your feedback

💃🏽 30+ minutes: Keep the spokes turning

• Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland: Auckland faces central government cuts to walking & cycling infrastructure, with all new cycleway funding removed, and just 0.01% left to complete existing projects. Transport makes up 50% of the city’s emissions, and causes congestion, air pollution, noise pollution, and road safety issues. Auckland Council must address this funding gap for a safe, reliable, lower emissions transport system in our biggest city.
  Action, due 1 October: Email councillors to continue to invest in safe cycling using Bike Auckland’s guide
  Bonus action, online, tomorrow 7:30-8:30pm: Join an online letter-writing session at this Google Meet link
  For Tāmaki folks:  Bike Auckland crew members will be at Zeki’s, 543 Karangahape Road on Thursday 7.30-9.00am to discuss and answer questions about the funding shortfall. 

In case you missed it

• Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, this Saturday night: Climate Club reader Geoff Ong writes music about the climate. He’s having a gig next weekend, and has kindly offered Climate Club subscribers to go in the draw for 5 free tickets (and created this awesome reel to promote it). We love it when creatives & climate come together!
  Action: Get your friends to subscribe and see you at the show!

Wins!

• Solar is being installed more and more in NZ, with us now having 462 MW of solar, a huge increase from 308 MW last year! ☀️

• All schools in New Zealand will be off coal boilers by June 2025, meaning cleaner air for kids to breathe, cheaper running costs, and lower emissions. This is thanks to a campaign that launched back in 2021 at the Fossil Free State Sector Coalition!

• Scotland has proposed banning bottom trawling, a massively emissions intensive activity. Both Greenpeace and WWF are calling for a ban in New Zealand too.

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That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy these cheeky charming critters who made the winners list for comedy wildlife photographs of the year and congratulations to those who successfully returned the mana of the haka guiness world record back to Aotearoa!

See you next week, 

The Climate Club team

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